It's all in the name

Los Feliz Theater

Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

A pedestrian walks past the Los Feliz Theater on Vermont Avenue, a landmark of the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles. Today, no one can seem to agree if using the Spanish pronunciation for the area is respectful -- or pretentious.

A pedestrian walks past the Los Feliz Theater on Vermont Avenue, a landmark of the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles. Today, no one can seem to agree if using the Spanish pronunciation for the area is respectful -- or pretentious. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Bill Wyatt hangs "Los Feliz" T-shirts at his shop, Y-Que Trading Post, in Los Feliz. On an online message board called "Southern California-isms," a former Los Feliz resident described an urge to slap everyone who uses the Spanish pronunciation, hoping to "bring them back to reality."

Bill Wyatt hangs "Los Feliz" T-shirts at his shop, Y-Que Trading Post, in Los Feliz. On an online message board called "Southern California-isms," a former Los Feliz resident described an urge to slap everyone who uses the Spanish pronunciation, hoping to "bring them back to reality." (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Los FEE-lus or Los Fey-LEASE? The English-speaking people who eventually developed the region love the romantic feel of the Spanish place names but brought a decidedly Midwestern way of pronouncing them.